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Following is a question by the Hon Chan Hak-kan and a written reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing, in the Legislative Council today (May 6):
Question:
Following the launch of the Environmental Levy Scheme on Plastic Shopping Bags (PSBs) (the first phase) (the First Phase Scheme) in July 2009, the Government has fully implemented the PSB charging requirement at the retail level (the fully implemented PSB charging requirement) since April 1 this year. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the amount of PSB charges handed over to the Government by shop operators during the period when the First Phase Scheme was implemented;
(2) of the number of inspections conducted by the authorities on shop operators' collection of PSB charges since last month;
(3) of the number of complaints received by the authorities about the fully implemented PSB charging requirement since last month (such as overcharging by shop operators and their refusal to give out exempted PSBs free of charge);
(4) whether the authorities have estimated the extent by which the disposal of PSBs can be reduced as a result of the fully implemented PSB charging requirement; if they have, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; when the authorities will review the effectiveness of the fully implemented PSB charging requirement;
(5) given that the number of PSBs distributed in the first quarter upon the implementation of the First Phase Scheme was 13 462 899, but there was a reversal of the decline in the number after about two years and such number rose to 17 959 779 in the 22nd quarter, whether the authorities have looked into the reasons for such a trend and of the authorities' measures to ensure that a reversal of the decline in the number of PSBs distributed will not recur;
(6) as the survey on disposal of PSBs conducted by the authorities showed that the disposal of "PSBs from unknown sources" accounted for almost 80 per cent of total disposal, whether the authorities have new methods to identify the sources of such PSBs so as to adopt measures to reduce the disposal of such PSBs; if they do, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(7) as I have learnt that at present, there are a number of countries requiring that retailers may only use degradable PSBs, whether the Government will consider implementing such practice in Hong Kong?
Reply:
President,
(1) The first phase of the Environmental Levy Scheme on Plastic Shopping Bags (PSBs) was implemented between July 7, 2009 and March 31, 2015. As at April 30, 2015, the registered retailers paid environmental levy of about $172 million in total to the Government.
(2) and (3) PSB charging has been fully implemented since April 1, 2015. As at May 4, 2015, officers of the Environmental Protection Department inspected 9 778 retail outlets and received 5 188 enquiries or complaints. These enquiries or complaints were mainly about the scope of regulation, exemption arrangements and charging level under the new initiative, whereas a small number were reports of suspected contravention cases.
(4) to (6) As we have indicated when the bill was introduced, overseas experiences suggest that the application of an economic disincentive at the retail end could effectively reduce PSB distribution. In Hong Kong, landfill disposal of PSBs distributed by the regulated retail sectors declined by over 75 per cent in one year after implementation of the PSB Levy Scheme. That said, as revealed in the disposal surveys conducted in the past few years, over 95 per cent of the PSBs found in the landfills were attributable to retail sectors not being regulated; the total disposal figure was also on the rise. Therefore, excessive use of PSB remains a problem in Hong Kong which should be tackled by extending the charging initiative.
It would however run the risk of over-estimation by simplistically assuming that the overall PSB disposal figure could be cut down by a similar magnitude as in the first phase upon full implementation of PSB charging. On one hand the registered retailers in the first phase might not be able to achieve further reduction in PSB distribution. On the other hand the law has provided for exemption to cater for food hygiene considerations and we do not expect the relevant sectors to sharply reduce the amount of PSBs that they distribute.
Close to 80 per cent of the PSBs disposed of at the landfills are from unidentifiable sources as they do not bear any signs or special design. Such PSBs are commonly used by small and medium enterprises, including retailers who sell goods that are entitled to exemption (such as those in wet markets). But irrespective of the sources of PSBs, we consider that there is still considerable scope for waste reduction. We will continue with publicity and public education and couple such efforts with enforcement with a view to maximising the waste reduction benefits.
(7) The main objective of fully implementing PSB charging is to encourage reduction in the use of PSBs and to promote the Bring Your Own Bag (BYOB) habit, thereby reducing waste at source. The use of degradable PSBs is unable to address the problem of excessive distribution and abusive use of PSBs. As a matter of fact, the "degradable" plastic bags available in the market could only degrade under specific background environment in relation to airflow, moisture and etc. As our landfills are constructed as a secure containment facility, it might not provide the necessary environment for the degrade process to take place. It remains our current priority to promote the BYOB habit for waste reduction at source.
Ends/Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Issued at HKT 15:50
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